Semiconductor fabrication and structure for field-effect and bipolar transistor devices

ABSTRACT

Semiconductor devices have device regions in which semiconductor properties such as spreading resistivity and its profile are significant. In making a p-type device region on a semiconductor wafer, an initial semiconductor device region is defined by a buried region, and an initial spreading resistivity profile is developed by annealing. After annealing, semiconductor device properties can be enhanced by removing a surface sub-region of the initial device region, and can be further improved by epitaxially growing thereon a monocrystalline film as an improved channel layer for FET devices. Such properties are relevant in MOS as well as bipolar devices.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to semiconductor devices and, moreparticularly, to VLSI/ULSI fabrication of MOSFET and bipolartransistors.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The need for scaling metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) devices down tobelow 0.1 μm feature size in very-large-scale integrated (VLSI) circuitshas been clearly indicated in the National Technology Road Map forSemiconductor Technology (1997 Edition), Semiconductor IndustryAssociation, San Jose, Calif. For such circuits, silicon-on-insulator(SOI) MOS devices appear to be promising as described in SOI Technology:Materials to VLSI (2^(nd) edition), Boston, Kluwer, 1997. Such materialsare disadvantaged, however, in having a large dose of oxygen ionsimplanted through the top surface layer of a silicon wafer on whichdevices are fabricated.

An alternative method for fabricating SOI materials is disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 5,374,564, issued Dec. 20, 1994 to Bruel and incorporatedherein in its entirety. Instead of using ion implantation, an oxidelayer is formed by oxidation of the top surface of a silicon wafer,protons are implanted through the oxidized surface, the implanted waferis annealed to form a hydrogen micro-bubble layer beneath a thin surfacelayer, a stiffener silicon wafer is attached to the oxidized surface ofthe annealed wafer, and the resulting structure is heated to expand themicro-bubbles, thereby lifting off the top surface layer which remainsattached to the stiffener wafer, forming an SOI wafer. It has beenreported further, by K. Henttinen et al., “Mechanically induced Si layertransfer in hydrogen-implanted Si wafers”, Applied Physics Letters, Vol.76, No. 17, 24 April 2000, that, after proton implantation beneath a topsurface layer of a silicon wafer and annealing to form hydrogen bubbles,the surface layer can be mechanically lifted off by a stiffener wafer atrelatively low temperatures.

Incorporated herein in their entirety are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,198,371 and5,633,174, issued to Li on Mar. 30, 1993 and May 27, 1997, respectively,disclosing a high-resistivity hydrogen bubble layer or defect layerunder a thin surface layer of a silicon wafer after hydrogenimplantation and annealing at high temperature. Termed“silicon-on-defect layer”, the surface layer was found to have improvedsemiconductor properties such as electron mobility. The structure of thehydrogen bubble or platelet layer is described by J. Grisolia et al., Atransmission electron microscopy quantitative study of the growthkinetics of H platelets in Si”, Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 76, No. 7,14 Feb. 2000.

Li, Jones, Coleman, Yi, Wallace and Anderson, “Properties ofSilicon-on-Defect-Layer Material”, pp. 745-750 in Materials ResearchSociety Proceedings, Vol. 396, David B Poker et al., Ed., MaterialsResearch Society (MRS), Pittsburgh, Pa., 1996 report on high-temperatureannealing after proton implantation resulting in conversion of a topsurface layer on a high-resistivity layer from n-type to p-type, therebyforming a p-n junction at the high-resistivity layer. Furthermore, thep-type spreading resistivity was found to decrease steadily from thehigh-resistivity buried layer to a low resistivity at the surface of thewafer, lower than original wafer resistivity, and the n-type spreadingresistivity to decrease steadily to its original value beneath thedefect layer, as illustrated there at p. 747 in FIG. 1. The conversionfrom n-type to p-type by proton implantation in the top surface layerhas been confirmed by data of Li, “New annealing processes andexplanation for novel pn junctions formed by proton implantation”,Electronics Letters, Vol. 35, p. 133, 1997. Furthermore, as reported byLi in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research B, Vol. 160,p. 190-193, Elsevier, 2000, when a p-type silicon wafer was implantedwith protons and annealed, a high-resistivity bubble layer was formedbeneath the surface, without affecting the type of the overlying surfacelayer.

Over prior SOI and silicon-on-defect-layer (SODL) device structures, theinvention described below results in advantages which are particularlysignificant in ultra-large-scale integration (ULSI).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In making a p-type device region on a semiconductor wafer, an initialsemiconductor device region is defined by a buried region, and aninitial spreading resistivity profile is developed by annealing. I havediscovered that, after annealing, semiconductor device properties can beenhanced by removing a surface sub-region of the initial device region,and can be further improved by epitaxially growing thereon amonocrystalline film as an improved channel layer for FET devices. Suchproperties are relevant in MOS as well as bipolar devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The Figures illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, as toprocessing as well as to resulting semiconductor structures and devices.

FIG. 1 is a graphic representation of spreading resistivity as afunction of depth for a p-n junction.

FIG. 2 is a schematic of protons being selectively implanted into anunmasked surface portion of an n-type silicon wafer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of a complementarymetal-oxide-silicon field effect transistor (CMOSFET) structure.

FIG. 4 is a schematic cross section of an n-p-n bipolar transistorstructure.

FIGS. 5-8 are schematic cross sections of sequentially evolvingstructure in exemplary fabrication of a CMOSFET.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross section of an alternative CMOSFET structure.

FIG. 10 is a schematic cross section of a bipolar transistor structure.

FIG. 11 is a schematic cross section of a semiconductor compositestructure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An n-type silicon wafer having an original bulk spreading resistivity ofabout 40 ohm-cm was implanted with 180 keV protons to a dose of about3×10⁻¹⁶ protons/cm² and annealed in a nitrogen-hydrogen atmosphere at900 degrees C. for 10 seconds to develop a buried hydrogen bubble orplatelet layer, as further described in the Li patents. The implantedwafer was annealed by heating to 1180 degrees C. for 20 minutes forconversion of the top surface layer from n-type to p-type conductivityas further described in the 1996 MRS article. The surface of theannealed wafer was subjected to plasma etching to reduce the thicknessof the top surface layer overlying the buried layer to approximately 0.1μm. Other suitable means for thickness reduction include chemicaletching and chemical-mechanical polishing (CMP).

For the resulting structure, FIG. 1 shows spreading resistivity versusdepth as measured from the surface of the reduced-thickness surfacelayer. As compared with the spreading resistivity graph in the 1996 MRSarticle, it is apparent that etching has resulted in removal of alow-resistivity portion of the top surface layer. Further in contrast,the gradient of spreading resistance versus thickness is significantlyless in the present new structure.

While exemplary processing as described herein-above involved twoseparate steps of annealing, benefits of the invention can be realizedalso with a single annealing step, e.g. at 900 degrees C. for 4 hours,and other suitable temperature-time profiles are not precluded. Benefitsinclude control of the spreading resistivity profile on an active layer,in MOSFET as well as bi-polar devices.

FIG. 2 and 3 schematically illustrate phases in the fabrication of aCMOSFET in an n-type silicon wafer 3. FIG. 2 shows protons beingselectively implanted into an unmasked surface portion 28 b of an n-typesilicon wafer 3 to form a buried high-resistivity defect layer 2delimiting a top surface layer 1 to be converted to p-type. Other thanprotons, suitable particles for implanting further include neutrons,molecular hydrogen ions, inert-gas ions such as helium, xenon or argonions and metallic ions, as well as combinations thereof, here as well asin the other embodiments of the invention. FIG. 3 shows a CMOSFET inwhich an n-type MOSFET is fabricated in a converted p-channel of ann-type silicon wafer by selective proton implantation, and in which ap-channel MOSFET is fabricated in the non-irradiated portion of then-type silicon wafer.

As shown in FIG. 2, for the n-type portion (NMOS) of the device, a thickmask 28 a with openings 28 b is formed on the wafer. Among suitable maskmaterials are oxides and photo-resists, and the openings 28 b can beformed by pattern etching, for example, selectively exposing areas ofthe silicon wafer surface for proton implantation while other areasremain shielded by the mask layer 28 a. After forming the defect layer 2by proton implantation, the mask 28 a is removed e.g. by etching, andthe wafer is annealed to convert the top surface layer 1 to p-type asdescribed herein-above. Next, a top portion of the top surface layer 1is removed by etching, for example, in order to attain a profile ofspreading resistivity versus depth suitable for an FET or bipolardevice, e.g. as shown in FIG. 1. The surface of the complementary,non-implanted PMOS region can be oxidized and etched simultaneously withthe NMOS region by conventional oxidation etching and polishingtechniques for reducing thickness and remove particulates and impuritiesso as to obtain a desired spreading resistivity profile, though withoutthe additional benefit in regions with a buried layer.

The CMOSFET device shown in FIG. 3 has a p-type surface layer 1 ondefect layer 2 in wafer 3 which is processed as described in connectionwith FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, at which point the top surface layer 1has a desired spreading resistivity profile. In further exemplaryprocessing, conventional photo-resist masking, etching and oxidationsteps are used to fabricate the gate dielectric layers 4 a and 4 b anddielectric trench 9 for dielectric isolation of the PMOS and NMOSregions. The gate dielectrics 4 a and 4 b may be 100 angstroms thick orless, in accordance with established design rules to form ULSI devices.Doped polysilicon gate electrodes 5 a and 5 b which are covered by thinmetallic or metal silicide films 6 a and 6 b are deposited on the gatedielectrics 4 a and 4 b using conventional photoresist masking, etchingand deposition techniques. Next, the p+ doped regions 7 a and 7 b and n+doped regions 7 c and 7 d are formed in the surface layer 1, e.g. by ionimplantation, thereby leaving channels 7 e and 7 f as the active layersin the top surface layer 1 to form the PMOS and NMOS devices,respectively.

Advantageously, the doped p+ source and drain regions 7 a-7 d can befabricated by implanting dopants such as boron and phosphorus, utilizingplasma doping as described by M. J. Goeckner et al., “Plasma doping forshallow junctions”, Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology B, Vol. 17,No. 5, Sep/Oct 1999, pp. 2290-2293. The resulting shallow regions areparticularly suited for use with the profiled surface layer as describedin connection with FIG. 1 hereinabove. In addition, as described byGoeckner et al., plasma source ion implantation (PSII) can be used toimplant the protons to form defect layer 2 or the doped layers inaccordance with the invention.

In operation, I found that the CMOS device, and in particular the NMOSportions, had improved performance compared to conventional CMOSdevices. Moreover, the high-resistivity p-layer had significantlyimproved cut-off and transconductivity characteristics. Although theexact theory is not known, the SR profile appears to provide aconductivity channel through which both lateral and vertical electricfields can substantially penetrate and control charge carriers.Substantial depletion of the charge carriers was obtained, therebyimproving the threshold voltage and sub-threshold slope of thesource-drain current. Best results are obtained by etching back theinitial top surface layer until the spreading resistivity is equal to orgreater than the original resistivity of the wafer.

FIGS. 5-8 schematically illustrate a further processing embodiment ofthe invention, of a CMOSFET having a p-type, top surface layer 11 on adefect layer 12 in an n-type silicon wafer 13.

FIG. 5 shows protons being implanted through a top surface layer 11 ofan n-type wafer 13. With a first annealing step, e.g. at 900 degrees C.for 10 seconds, a defect layer of platelets or bubbles is formed at ornear the end of the proton range, e.g of 1.2 to 2 μm when proton energyis 180 keV and the dose is 2×10¹⁶ protons/cm² as described in the 1996MRS article, for example. Lower proton energies, e.g. down to 100 keV orless can be used to make thinner top surface layers 11. A secondannealing step, e.g. at 1180 degrees C. for 20 minutes is next appliedto implanted wafer 13 in order to develop the high resistivity defectlayer 12, to remove impurities from top surface layer 11 and to convertlayer 11 to p-type silicon. Top surface layer 11 is then etched andpolished to reduce the thickness above defect layer 12, as described inconnection with FIGS. 1 and 2, so as to fabricate an active channel forcharge carriers that confines the charge carriers to a thin top surfaceunder charge accumulation and depletion conditions and through which thegate electric field can penetrate.

Referring to FIG. 6, a photomask is applied to top surface layer 11 andpatterned and etched by conventional photolithography techniques so thatdeep trench 19 can be etched through top surface layer 11 and defectlayer 12 into the bulk of wafer 13 to electrically isolate the PMOS andNMOS regions.

Referring to FIG. 7, after etching away photomask 18 a and oxidizing thetop surface layer 11 in order to form the silicon oxide gate dielectriclayer 14 (about 100 angstroms thick), photomask 18 b is applied withopen regions over the PMOS regions. Phosphorus or arsenic ions areselectively implanted through gate dielectric layer 14 to convert thep-type top surface layer back to n-type silicon suitable for the activechannel of the PMOS regions.

FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a CMOSFET, e.g. fabricated usingthe wafer 13 processed by techniques described in connection with FIGS.4-7. The n-type wafer 11 comprises surface layer 11 a doped ton-conductivity, and another portion 11 b converted to p-conductivity,with the two portions being separated and insulated by trench 19 whichpreferably penetrates through defect layer 12. Conventionalphotolithography, etching and deposition techniques are then used tofabricate the PMOS and NMOS devices as ULSI circuits in defect layer 12.The finished device includes PMOS and NMOS regions having gatedielectric films 14 a and b (e.g. 100 angstroms thick) on channels 11 aand 11 b to which doped polysilicon electrodes 14 a and 14 b with thinfilm electrodes 16 a and 16 b are applied respectively. Conventionalphotolithography techniques are used to etch the appropriate pattern.

The PMOS and NMOS regions further include p+ and n+ doped source anddrain regions 17 a and 17 b and 17 c and 17 d respectively, havingmetallic electrodes 18 a-18 d fabricated in surface layer 11. Asdescribed in connection with FIG. 3, shallow doping, e.g by plasmadoping (PLAD) or plasma immersion ion implantation (PIII) of source anddrain contacts 17 a-17 d is preferred.

In operation, the present CMOSFET device showed improvedtransconductance and lower latch-up than conventional CMOSFET.Putatively, the improvement may be related to the combination ofhigh-resistivity defect layer 12, which extends under all the devices,and trench 19, which electrically isolate adjacent PMOS and NMOSdevices. In addition, improved transconductance may be attributed to thegettering action of defect layer 12 and by the etch-back step forreducing the thickness of the top surface layer. Furthermore, thespreading resistivity profile that resulted from the implantation,annealing and etch-back procedures functioned to confine the conductionof charge carriers to a thin layer 11′ of the top surface layer 11′ intowhich both normal and lateral electric fields could penetrate, therebyimproving cut-off and other properties of the FET. In addition, I foundthat using wafers with minimum oxygen content enabled the defect layer11 to getter metals and other impurities otherwise present in the topsurface layer.

FIG. 9 shows schematically a view of CMOSFET fabricated on a top surfacelayer 91 on a defect layer 92 in a p-type Si wafer 93. The hydrogenimplantation procedures are similar to those described in connectionwith FIG. 8 except that, as the top surface layer 91 is already p-type,implantation changes the spreading resistivity but does not change theconductivity type as described by the Li (2000) article. But, n-typedopant, such as phosphorous or arsenic was implanted into channelportion 97 e under gate dielectric 94 a of the PMOS portion. Inaddition, more concentrated p+ and n+ dopants were implanted into sourceand drain regions 97 a and 97 b, and 97 c and 97 d of the PMOS and NMOSdevices, respectively. Metallic contacts 98 a-98 d were applied tosource and drain doped regions 97 a-97 d, and polysilicon electrodes 95a and 95 b with metallic contacts 96 a and 96 b were fabricated on gatedielectrics 94 a and 94 b of the PMOS and NMOS regions respectively.Deep trench 99, which penetrated defect layer 92 between the PMOS andNMOS regions, provided electrical isolation and insulation. Again,conventional photolithographic, etching and deposition with appropriatedesign rules were utilized.

The top surface layer 91 was fabricated by controlling the annealingsteps and etch back steps, such as described in connection with FIG. 1,so as to produce a spreading resistivity profile which functioned toconfine the charge carriers to the top surface channel 91′ of topsurface layer 91. In addition, electric fields penetrated through toplayer 91′, thereby improving transconductance characteristicssubstantially compared to conventional CMOS devices. Again, metals andother impurities were gettered by defect layer 92 and surfacecontaminants were removed by etch back deeper than usual waferprocessing to provide the desired SR profile.

FIG. 4 shows a n-p-n bipolar transistor in which the emitter/baseregions 44/46 are fabricated in a p-well top surface layer 41 on defectlayer 42 by selective proton implantation in a n-Si wafer 43. The p-well41 is formed by annealing and etching to form the desired profile suchas, for example, described in connection with FIG. 1. Contacts (n- andp-type) are implanted in the p-layer using As or P and B sourcesrespectively as shown. The n+ collector C region 45 is formed bydiffusing or implanting As or P into the top surface layer 41 of then-Si wafer 43 to defect layer 42 after the etching and polishingprocess.

In any of the embodiments discussed above, the top surface layer on thedefect layers which comprise microbubbles or platelets after the firstannealing step, may be removed from the Si wafer by attaching the topsurface layer to an oxidized (stiffener) Si wafer and by heating inorder to raise the pressure of the microbubbles sufficiently toexfoliate the top surface layer as described by the Bruel '564 patent.Alternatively and in contrast, the top surface layer can be mechanicallysheared off as described by Henttinen et al.

However, the top surface layer is converted to p-type conductivity witha high spreading resistance profile, thereby producing a SOI p-channelwith high-resistivity and a predesigned gradient. The stiffener wafermay be n- or p-type. In addition, a gate electrode may be applied to thetop oxide layer which subsequently becomes a buried SOI layer before thelift-off or exfoliation step. After the lift-off step, the boundary ofthe buried layer becomes the new top surface of the top surface layer.This surface may be polished or etched to remove the boundaries of thebubbles or platelets and to adjust the total thickness of the new p-typehigh-resistivity layer.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, FIG. 10 shows schematicallya crossectional drawing of a bipolar transistor with a p-type floatingbase 101 fabricated on defect layer 102 in n-type wafer 103 after protonimplantation through the layer 101, and after annealing as describedabove in connection with FIG. 1. After etch back to obtain the desiredspreading resistivity profile, emitter layer 108 is grown epitaxially onthe top of base 101 by CVD or other standard procedures. The wafer 103with metallic contact 107 functions as the collector in electricalcontact with defect layer 102 of base 101. Layer 108 is doped to n+conductivity, e.g. by implanting P or As dopants or incorporatinggaseous dopants such as phosphine or di-borine during epitaxial growth,and is physically separated into two emitter regions 104 a and 104 b bydeep trench 105 which penetrates layer 108 and preferably into p-layer101 so as to electrically isolate the two emitter regions 104 a and 104b. Contacts 106 a and 104 b are applied to emitter regions 104 a and 104b.

Conventional fabrication techniques, operating conditions andapplications, such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,245, issued Oct.24, 1995 to Gribnikov et al. which is incorporated herein in itsentirety, may be used along with the novel process procedures disclosedherein.

In operation, the mobility of the charge carriers in the base was foundto be significantly increased compared with those in conventionalbipolar and floating devices. Furthermore, when used in applications,such as logic circuits as described in the Gribnikov '245 patent,substantially improved operating characteristics were found. Highmobility floating base layer 101 and its defect layer 102 in contactwith collector layer 103 provided unique p-n junction characteristicsnot heretofore available.

In addition, the improved composite epi-layer 108 on annealed and etchedlayer 101 on defect layer 102 was found to provide improved performancefor other semiconductor devices such as, for example, described above inFIGS. 2-9. Thus such a composite is described next in connection withFIG. 11.

FIG. 11 shows a substrate wafer 113 with epitaxial layer 114 depositedon layer 111 on defect layer 112 in wafer 113. Ions comprising hydrogenions are implanted through the initial top surface of layer 111 so as tocreate defect layer 112 after annealing such as described in connectionwith FIG. 1. As described above, after annealing the thickness of layer111 is reduced by etching and polishing to obtain the desired spreadingresistivity profile. But, in the present embodiment the resistivityprofile is adjusted to function in combination with the top epitaxiallayer 114 so as to form a channel for charge carriers when, for example,ULSIFET devices are fabricated in layer 114, which, for example, mayhave a thickness of 10 nm or less using appropriate design rules. Such acomposite, for example, may be used for FET devices such as shown byFIGS. 2-9 with the combination of epi-layer 114 on reduced thicknesslayer 111 being substituted for layers 1, 11, and 91.

The epitaxial layer is on the annealed and etched p-layer with thedesired surface of the p-layer, after irradiating, being annealed andetched so as to produce the desired spreading resistivity. Combinationsof such conductivity types include n-epi on p/peak/p or on p/peak/n, andp-epi on p/peak/p or on p/peak/n, where “peak” means the highresistivity peak which is produced by the initial defect layer. Inoperation I found that, although it is necessary to create the defectlayer by ion implantation in order to getter impurities and increase theresistivity above the original resistivity of the wafer substrate, it isnot necessary for a detectable defect layer to be present afterannealing provided impurities are anchored at microscopic platelets oreven a microscopic layer of dislocations. The crystal structure of thedevice region after irradiating, annealing and etching, in which devicesare fabricated is improved when compared to the wafer substrate becauseimpurities are lower in the initial surface region. Consequently theepitaxial layer, which faithfully follows its substrate structure, alsohas an improved crystal structure and lower impurities than available byother processes.

In operation, devices fabricated using the structure shown in FIG. 11had significantly improved electrical properties, possibly becausedefect layer 112 remained active in gettering impurities, therebyproducing an improved crystal structure and mobility in layers 111 and114. Such properties have never before been realized because epi-layersconventionally deposited on conventional wafers did not have the benefitof such gettering and crystal structure. Lower-cost original wafers,having higher impurity levels, can be utilized. Furthermore, when thecomposite structure shown in FIG. 11 is used for fabricating FETdevices, the conductivity of the epitaxial layer 114 and thespreading-resistivity of p-layer 111 can be cooperatively adjusted sothat charge carriers are channeled through epi-layer 114 and, inaddition, latch-up between adjacent NFET and PFET devices are minimized.Such a composite layer has unique transconductance characteristics andoverall device performance not available by other means.

1. A method for making a semiconductor device having a p-type deviceregion, comprising the steps of: (i) forming an initial region to aninitial depth from at least a portion of an initial surface of asemiconductor substrate which has a conductivity type and an originalbulk spreading resistivity, (ii) heating said initial region, therein todevelop an initial spreading resistivity profile having a peak, withpeak value greater than said bulk spreading resistivity, (iii) removingmaterial from said initial surface portion, thereby forming said p-typedevice region having a new surface from which said resistivity peak isat a reduced depth.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein step (i) comprisesimplanting particles.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein said particlesare selected from the group consisting of neutrons, protons, hydrogenions, inert-gas ions and metallic ions.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein said substrate has p-type conductivity.
 5. The method of claim1, wherein said substrate has n-type conductivity and wherein, in step(ii), heating results in a change of conductivity to p type in saidinitial region.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein heating for changingsaid conductivity type is distinct from heating to develop said initialspreading resistivity profile.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein step(iii) comprises at least one of plasma etching, chemical etching andchemical-mechanical polishing.
 8. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising a step of selectively implanting dopant ions in said deviceregion for forming channels for charge carriers.
 9. The method of claim1, further comprising a step of selectively implanting dopant ions insaid device region for forming source and drain regions.
 10. The methodof claim 1, further comprising forming a CMOS structure in said p-typedevice region.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein forming said CMOSstructure comprises forming a trench between NMOS and PMOS devices, to adepth of at least to said depth of said peak of said spreadingresistivity of said p-type device region.
 12. The method of claim 1,further comprising a step of epitaxially growing a crystalline region onsaid p-type device region.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein heating ofsaid initial region is to a temperature of approximately at least 900degrees C.